Marine One lifts when it matters to win G2 Rubiton Stakes
The punters got it right in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes over 1100m at Caulfield on Saturday with the well backed favourite Marine One ($3.20 with Australian online bookmakers) taking out the event.
The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained colt recording his fourth race victory and first at stakes level in the $300,000 feature.
Last season’s leading jockey in Melbourne, Jamie Kah, produced a top ride to guide the colt to victory. Kah settled in third position, getting the run of the race behind the two leaders. Staying off the fence, which didn’t seem the place to be at Caulfield on Saturday, Marine One then hit the front 50m from home to draw away to win by over a length.
Co-trainer David Eustace was impressed with the victory, which came after the colt was beaten in a Benchmark 70 event last time out.
“It was a good performance,” Eustace told Racing.com after the race.
“He’s just gradually progressed. The team have done a great job with him down at the beach gradually getting everything right and then just being able to stay up for as long as he has.
“He’s a colt and requires a bit of work in between [races].”
Eustace was confident that the strong win was evidence that his three-year-old was ready to take on 1200m now, after failing at his only attempt previously over that journey.
“He really knows how to race well now. He relaxes early and he’s strong late and he sort of showed there again today that 1200m will be no problem if we want to go there.”
The maiden stakes victory was an important one, as Marine ONe looks to have a future at stud.
“He’s a son of Capitalist who’s doing a great job at stud,” Eustace said.
“He’s now a Group 2 winner and he’s got a bright future on the track and whenever he does [retire], then at stud. We’ll aim to build on that record.”
Kah noted after the race that the colt had lifted for a race day performance.
“I got to jump on him the other day,” she said.
“He was good, he’s a nice enough trackworker, but I think he definitely saves it for race day. He really impressed me then.
“We got a nice enough run, but he’s beaten some pretty nice horses, and did it well.
“He was very tractable today and I was conscious not to get into a speed battle and he was happy to come back. I think the last 100 metres was really impressive.”
The stable will now look to improve his record, with nominations in Group 1 races such as the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 12 and the T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 2.